Near Field Communication (NFC) is a set of short-range wireless technologies that operate within the globally available and unlicensed radio frequency ISM band of 13.56 MHz. The air interface for NFC is standardized in ISO/IEC 18092/ECMA-340, “Near Field Communication Interface and Protocol-1 (NFCIP-1)” and ISO/IEC 21481/ECMA-352 “Near Field Communication Interface and Protocol-2 (NFCIP-2)”. NFC is an extension to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and the standards governing NFC originated in RFID.
NFC has a wide range of applications. For example, NFC may be used in mobile ticketing for public transport, movies, concerts, and sporting events. In another example, NFC may be used in mobile payment, such as where users can pay for goods using NFC-enabled devices, either NFC-enabled phones with stored data that act as a debit/credit payment card or NFC-powered contactless payment cards placed in proximity of readers. In a further example, NFC may be used in smart posters and objects, such as NFC-enabled phones can be used to read RFID tags on commercial establishments' signs for information or promotions or scan outdoor billboards. In yet another example, NFC may be used in Bluetooth pairing, such as pairing of Bluetooth 2.1 devices with NFC support by bringing the devices close together and accepting the pairing. In a further example, NFC may be used in P2P payment, such as when: users make payment to each other by tapping phones together and entering the amount of money to be transferred. Other documents that may be transferred include government, employee, and organization identity documents. In another example, NFC may be used in mobile commerce, such as delivery of in-store promotions and couponing, driving sales of products, and providing value-added services. In still a further example, NFC may be used in electronic keys, such as when NFC-enabled phones serve as replacements for physical car keys, house/office keys, and hotel room keys. In a further example, NFC may be used in ubiquitous information applications, such as audio tour guides for art museums or public monuments, book sales and lending, movie trailers, DVD rentals, and music purchases. Additional uses for NFC include health and safety applications, home healthcare visits, healthcare campus safety check-ins, social networking, and smart mobility.
Radio signals that carry the data to be transferred between transceivers (a transceiver is a device such as a cell phone that can both transmit and receive) are not confined to the immediate vicinity of these transceivers. Hence, an eavesdropper with a sufficiently sensitive receiver can pick up this data transmission. Studies have revealed that the distance from which an attacker is able to eavesdrop NFC communications is typically a small number of meters. Eavesdropping may be possible at distances up to 5 meters.
Seknion Inc. has developed technology related to security in wireless communications and radio frequency identification (RFID) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,078, U.S. Pat. No. 7,751,799, U.S. Pat. No. 7,456,72, U.S. Pat. No. 7,889,054, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,605,684. This technology includes the broadcasting of both a data signal intended for authorized transceivers and one or more scramble signals which overshadow the data signal to prevent reception of the data signal by unauthorized transceivers. A system operating in accordance with these disclosures increases the likelihood that an eavesdropper records only the scramble signal. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 7,889,054 discloses the selection of effective scramble signals, which may also be known as jamming signals, masking signals, and guard signals.
Encryption of the data transmitted between NFC devices may also improve security. However, encryption increases the power and processing requirements of the NFC devices, which are designed to be cheap and low-cost devices. Additionally, encryption does not prevent an eavesdropper from acquiring the data. Instead, encryption only hinders the eavesdropper from deciphering the data. Encryption techniques are always subject to skilled computer user's attempts to break the encryption. A better solution would prevent the eavesdropper from receiving any data.